Crushing tool for mineral assaying



March 10, 1964 H, KRAUS 3,124,313

CRUSHING TOOL FOR MINERAL ASSAYING Filed June 6, 1962 r "Ta u INVENTOR HAROLD KRAUS layoff/4&7

ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,124,313 CRUSIENG TGL FR MINERAL ASAilNG liiaroid Kraus, 716 Northnmheriand Road, Teaneclt, NJ. Filed .inne 6, 1962, Ser. No. Ziil 1 Claim. (Ci. 2041-74) This invention relates to a crushing tool for granulating mineral specimens by crushing them to a uniform maximum particle size suitable for chemical treatment and analysis. This novel tool is particularly useful in the assaying art, because it provides a convenient and reliable means for preparing uniformly granulated samples.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a design of crushing anvil for granulating mineral specimens whose geometry includes two concentric chambers separated by a cylindrical screen and a separable annular shield member so that crushing in the central anvil chamber may be effected without damage to the screen, and so that after crushing the cylindrical shield member may be removed for convenient selective transfer of the crushed sampie through the screen from the anvil chamber to the annular concentric collection chamber.

It is another object of the invention to provide an easily manufactured tool for expediting the preparation of mineral samples for assaying.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a combined crushing tool and sieve.

For other objects and a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE l is an exploded perspective view of the several concentric parts of the crushing tool preferred embodiment of the present invention, parts being shown broken away.

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional View in elevation of the assembled tool as used during the crushing phase of its operation.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, in elevation, showing the shield member removed preparatory to the screening phase of the tools operation, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the terminal phase of the crushing tools operation in which the screened sample granulations are being poured out of the outer chamber, parts being shown broken away.

Referring now to the drawings, 6 represents a cylindrical hardened crushing plunger having a knurled equatorial band 7. A cylindrical shield member 8 having an annular ilange cover and lip 9 and a cylindrical screen 11 of predetermined mesh supported in an apertured frame 12 provide for a crushing chamber 17 in which the crushing plunger is worked with hammer 22.

The apertured frame 12 with the screen 11 is frictionally secured to a cylindrical hardened anvil 14 which is integrally formed on the base of a cup-shaped body 16. The screen 11 thus divides the housing 16 into an inner crushing or iirst chamber 17 and a second or outer concentric collection chamber 18. When the cylindrical shield member 8 is in place it forms a cylindrical wall surrounding the plunger 6 and protecting the relatively fragile mesh wire of the screen 11 from damage by the crushing operation.

When the crushing tool is made ready for use, the members 8, 11 and 14 are assembled as shown in FIG. 2, a mineral specimen 19 is inserted in the crushing chamber 17 and the plunger 6 is manually positioned to rest on the specimen 19 as shown in FIG. 2, and held by the hand. The plunger 6 is then repeatedly impacted by a hammer 22 with the other hand until a substantial portion of specimen 19 is reduced to granular form between plunger 6 and anvil 14.

The cylindrical shield member is then lremoved and the housing 16 is shaken with an oscillation to cause the horizontal displacement of the specimen granules 21 through the screen 11 so as to transfer and trap by gravity a substantial portion of the granules that have been capable of passing through screen 11 from the anvil chamber 17 into the collection chamber 1S. Thereafter, the sized granules 21 can be poured from the collection chamber in the manner shown in FIG. 4.

The shield member 3 may now be replaced and the foregoing pulverizing step repeated until all the specimen material or granules 21 can be transferred into well collection chamber 18.

The final step in the removal of granules from the tool is shown in FIG. 4 where it may be seen that a rotary manipulation of the well 16 while in an inclined position causes the gravitational ejection of the pulverized sample as shown at 21.

While many changes may be made in the structure of the specic design disclosed, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a crushing tool for granulating specimens, a hollow cup-shaped housing including a base with an enlarged central portion constituting an anvil, a screen seated on the base and sleeved around said anvil in the housing, a removable cylindrical tubular shield member seated on the periphery of said anvil against said screen, said shield member and anvil defining an inner chamber in the housing for receiving specimens to be granulated, said shield member having an annular lid member seated on the top edges of the screen and housing and having an inwardly extending flange sleeved around the top edge of the housing said screen, base, housing and annular lid member defining an outer collection chamber in the housing, an elongated cylindrical solid hardened member movable in the inner chamber and constituting a plunger, and hammer means for driving said plunger against the specimens in the inner chamber for granulating said specimens, said screen constituting a screen device and discharge outlet into the outer chamber for the granulated material when the shield member is removed, the open top of the housing constituting a discharge outlet from the outer chamber.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 681,234 Krause Aug. 27, 1901 1,038,019 Straub Sept. 10, 1912 2,144,799 Foote Jan. 24, 1939 

